Lake Garda tour: much talk of Mussolini

"Mussolini was a good guy, really. By 1945 he'd had enough of the war, but his friend Hitler wouldn't let him stop. Hitler's government annexed the top of the Italian lakes region, and proclaimed Mussolini the head of the the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (RSI), with its HQ in Salo, just down the road from Limone sul Garda ... unfortunately for Mussolini, when the Nazi show was over and he tried to escape to Switzerland with his mistress, Clara, they were captured, executed, and strung up, feet first, outside a gas station in Milan".

Maybe all history should be taught like this. On location, with a lighter touch. Who's going to forget that final image, or the sight of Mussolini's villa on the edge of the lake in Salo, the one that no-one can manage to buy?

Today's trip was comprehensive. Right round the lake, from Bardolino in the South to Sirmione, the southernmost peninsula. We took a boat to see every aspect. Back round to the North, up the multi-tunnelled road on the western shore to Limone, the place in today's shot. Here we took a boat to Riva, on the northernmost shore. Great grey crags dominate the scenery. In winter, the sun sets at 1pm.

What do they do, those summer providers, when the windsurfing season ebbs away and the hotels close their wooden shutters? Do they head off back to Milan or Bolzano, or do they light the fire and get out a jumbo book of crosswords and a bottle of after-lunch Limoncino?

From Riva we travelled by coach again, to the wedding-shoot capital of Malcesine. Lacy brides and grooms posed on board a tall ship in the harbour, beneath the castle walls. They exited stage left, and the next couple came on. We wandered the cobbled streets, eating gelato. Nobody does it better than Italians. (Makes me feel sad for the rest....)

From Malcesine we travelled back to Bardolino. A storm was blowing up along the lake, hurling leaves from the trees. Thunder rumbled.Ducks squawked in the reed beds. Il piccolo doge restaurant was closed because it's Tuesday. I scurried back to the hotel.

Verdict on today: all-embracing, entertaining, not quite enough time at each stop. Today's guide, Zwanette, was excellent, a great improvement on yesterday's. I shall.probably dream of Maria Callas and Mussolini.

Forecast for tomorrow is rain, thunder, rain, thunder...more rain, more thunder. I am pleased to report that I am now the owner of a brand new umbrella.